Ink jet printing has become recognized as a prominent contender in the digitally controlled, electronic printing arena because, e.g., of its non-impact, low-noise characteristics, its use of plain paper and its avoidance of toner transfer and fixing. Ink jet printing mechanisms can be categorized by technology as either drop on demand ink jet (DOD) or continuous ink jet (CIJ).
The first technology, “drop-on-demand” (DOD) ink jet printing, provides ink drops that impact upon a recording surface using a pressurization actuator, for example, a thermal, piezoelectric, or electrostatic actuator. One commonly practiced drop-on-demand technology uses thermal actuation to eject ink drops from a nozzle. A heater, located at or near the nozzle, heats the ink sufficiently to boil, forming a vapor bubble that creates enough internal pressure to eject an ink drop. This form of inkjet is commonly termed “thermal ink jet (TIJ).”
The second technology commonly referred to as “continuous” ink jet (CIJ) printing, uses a pressurized ink source to produce a continuous liquid jet stream of ink by forcing ink, under pressure, through a nozzle. The stream of ink is perturbed using a drop forming mechanism such that the liquid jet breaks up into drops of ink in a predictable manner. One continuous printing technology uses thermal stimulation of the liquid jet with a heater to form drops that eventually become print drops and non-print drops. Printing occurs by selectively deflecting one of the print drops and the non-print drops and catching the non-print drops. Various approaches for selectively deflecting drops have been developed including electrostatic deflection, air deflection, and thermal deflection.
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (or MEMS) devices are becoming increasingly prevalent as low-cost, compact devices having a wide range of applications. Uses include pressure sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones, digital mirror displays, microfluidic devices, biosensors, chemical sensors, and others.
MEMS transducers include both actuators and sensors. In other words they typically convert an electrical signal into a motion, or they convert a motion into an electrical signal. They are typically made using standard thin film and semiconductor processing methods. As new designs, methods and materials are developed, the range of usages and capabilities of MEMS devices can be extended.
MEMS transducers are typically characterized as being anchored to a substrate and extending over a cavity in the substrate. Three general types of such transducers include a) a cantilevered beam having a first end anchored and a second end cantilevered over the cavity; b) a doubly anchored beam having both ends anchored to the substrate on opposite sides of the cavity; and c) a clamped sheet that is anchored around the periphery of the cavity. Type c) is more commonly called a clamped membrane, but the word membrane will be used in a different sense herein, so the term clamped sheet is used to avoid confusion.
Sensors and actuators can be used to sense or provide a displacement or a vibration. For example, the amount of deflection δ of the end of a cantilever in response to a stress a is given by Stoney's formulaδ=3σ(1−ν)L2/Et2  (1),where ν is Poisson's ratio, E is Young's modulus, L is the beam length, and t is the thickness of the cantilevered beam. In order to increase the amount of deflection for a cantilevered beam, one can use a longer beam length, a smaller thickness, a higher stress, a lower Poisson's ratio, or a lower Young's modulus. The resonant frequency of vibration of an undamped cantilevered beam is given byf=ω0/2π=(k/m)1/2/2π  (2),where k is the spring constant and m is the mass. For a cantilevered beam of constant width w, the spring constant k is given byk=Ewt3/4L3  (3).It can be shown that the dynamic mass m of an oscillating cantilevered beam is approximately one quarter of the actual mass of ρwtL (ρ being the density of the beam material), so that within a few percent, the resonant frequency of vibration of an undamped cantilevered beam is approximatelyf˜(t/2πL2) (E/ρ)1/2  (4).For a lower resonant frequency one can use a smaller Young's modulus, a smaller thickness, a longer length, or a larger density. A doubly anchored beam typically has a lower amount of deflection and a higher resonant frequency than a cantilevered beam having comparable geometry and materials. A clamped sheet typically has an even lower amount of deflection and an even higher resonant frequency.
Based on material properties and geometries commonly used for MEMS transducers the amount of deflection can be limited, as can the frequency range, so that some types of desired usages are either not available or do not operate with a preferred degree of energy efficiency, spatial compactness, or reliability. For example, using typical thin film transducer materials for an undamped cantilevered beam of constant width, Equation 4 indicates that a resonant frequency of several megahertz is obtained for a beam having a thickness of 1 to 2 microns and a length of around 20 microns. However, to obtain a resonant frequency of 1 kHz for a beam thickness of about 1 micron, a length of around 750 microns would be required. Not only is this undesirably large, a beam of this length and thickness can be somewhat fragile. In addition, typical MEMS transducers operate independently. For some applications independent operation of MEMS transducers is not able to provide the range of performance desired. Further, typical MEMS transducer designs do not provide a sealed cavity which can be beneficial for some fluidic applications.
Thermal stimulation of liquids, for example, inks, ejected from DOD printing mechanisms or formed by CIJ printing mechanisms is not consistent when one liquid is compared to another liquid. Some liquid properties, for example, stability and surface tension, react differently relative to temperature. As such, liquids are affected differently by thermal stimulation often resulting in inconsistent drop formation which reduces the numbers and types of liquid formulations used with DOD printing mechanisms or CIJ printing mechanisms.
Accordingly, there is an ongoing need to provide liquid ejection mechanisms and ejection methods that improve the reliability or consistency of drop formation on a liquid by liquid basis while maintaining individual nozzle control of the mechanism in order to increase the numbers and types of liquid formulations used with these mechanisms.